While Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club road runners were making history with two teams in the England men’s six-stage road relay championship for the first time, others were taking the team honours in the opening East Surrey League fixture of the season.

Hercules finished as top south west London and Surrey club in the England six-stage road relay at Sutton Park, Birmingham, coming home 32nd of the 72 teams.

Opening leg runner Fred Slemeck was fastest of the sextet as he covered the 5.85km circuit in 18 minutes 43 seconds to hand over in 46th place.

Rob Tuer (19:22) slipped to 54th spot before Alex Robinson (19:17) stormed through to 43rd.

Joe Clark (19:52) gained another place before Jonathan Cornish (18:53) moved through to 34th with the second best Hercules Wimbledon time of the day.

Belel Aly (19:22) gained another place on the anchor leg.

Opening leg runner Richard McDowell was also the fastest member of the B team which finished 57th.

He clocked 19:19, faster than two of the A team runners, in handing over in 58th place.

Finn Johnson (19:46) slipped to 63rd before Neil Fraser (20:20) moved through to 59th and David Grima (20:37) handed over in 60th place.

Sean Crummy (21:16) handed over in 58th with anchor leg runner Phil Glynn (20:36) improving to 57th.

Elsewhere, Hercules Wimbledon won both the senior and young athletes team honours in the opening East Surrey League fixture of the season at Lloyd Park, Croydon.

Barnaby Woods led the seniors home finishing runner-up with Jonathan Lane fourth, Andrew Davies 15th and Mark Livingstone 25th out of the 74 runners.

Henry Silverstain was top U15 finisher in the young athletes two miles race, also taking runners-up spot with Sam Barker fifth and second U15 runner, Alexander Abrahams eighth and Kajetan Analcz ninth.